• No results found

Some Richards Manuscripts and Correspondence

N/A
N/A
Protected

Academic year: 2020

Share "Some Richards Manuscripts and Correspondence"

Copied!
14
0
0

Loading.... (view fulltext now)

Full text

(1)

Issue 12

December

December 1961

Some Richards Manuscripts and Correspondence

Richard Cary

Follow this and additional works at:

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/cq

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Colby. It has been accepted for inclusion in Colby Quarterly by an

Recommended Citation

(2)

SOME RICHARDS MANUSCRIPTS AND CORRESPONDENCE

By RICHARD CARY

Through the magnanimity of Philo Calhoun, Colby is

gradu-ally acquiring first editions of each of Mrs. Richards' hundred and three separately published titles. These are augmented by over one hundred letters and manuscripts in the files of the Edwin Arlington Robinson Room, largely contributed by Mrs. Ruth Nivison and Mr. Calhoun. Fifty-three are letters written by L.E.R. to various p:ersons, twenty-six written to: her, six photocopies of letters to her by E.A.R., and typed excerpts fronl some twenty others by the poet she befriendedinGardiner. The manuscripts fall into four categories: three are holographs, eight typescripts, one booklength work both typed and hand-written, and one page of corrected proof.

Following is a brief descriptive list of Colby's holdings.

MANUSCRIPTS

"Puppy-dogs' Tails," holograph, first 5 pp. "A Valentine," holograph, 3 verses, signed, 1 p. "Harold, Harold," holograph, 2 verses, signed, 1 p.

To Harold T. Pulsifer. Second stanza starts: "Harold, Harold,

So double-barreled

Is my affection, dear Poet, for you." "The Birds' Christmas," typescript, 32 lines, 2 pp. "Children's Reading," typescript of Chapter II, 5 pp.

"Fables," typescript, contains "Friendship," "Gardening," "The Workshop," each signed, 3 pp,.

"The Jog-Trot Muse," typescript, 8 verses, 1 p. "From Holy Writ," typescript, 8 verses, 2 pp.

"Of Libraries," typescript, with hand corrections, signed, 2 pp.

(3)

Profusely corrected, with insertions of additional holograph sheets and typewritten notes, 116 pp.

"Alexander," page proof, with corrections, 1 p.

CORRESPONDENCE

To: John Kendrick Bangs, January 19, 1912; 2 pp.

Everyone is looking forward to hearing him. The Rich-ards family claims the added pleasure of his spending the night at their house.

"Perhaps - weather and roads permitting - you will like a sleighride; perhaps you share the views of B. Franklin." To: John Kendrick Bangs, February 1, 1912; 3 pp.

Glad that this Good Guest enjoyed his visit, for they are now enjoying his delightful poems, "all very happyfying."

"Emerson says that as we grow older we should try to make one new friend each year; will you be ours for this year?"

From: Governor Louis J. Brann, May 18, 1935; 1p.

Considers it a privilege to have been present at the E.A.R. memorial ceremonies at Gardiner. Thought them very

im-pressive.

To: Miss Brown, April 25, 1913; 2 pp.

Apologizes for having misplaced her story. "A truly penitent sinner addresses you, and craves forgiveness."

Recomnlends In My Nursery, Th,e Hurdy-Gurdy, and The

Piccolo to her.

To: N. R. Campbell, August 2, 1928; postcard.

Corrects a misimpression about her line of Ward ancestry. From: Mabel Daniels, July 21, 1935; 3 pp.

E.A.R. was one of her closest friends and often spoke to her of L.E.R. She thinks L.E.R.'s tribute to E.A.R. is "about the best that has been written about hinl."

(4)

From: Henry E. Dunnack, May 1, 1935; 1 p.

Accepts the invitation to E.A.R. memorial meeting but wishes to be excused from reading "The Master." Prefers to come as "a mourner at the bier of one whom I loved and have lost awhile."

To: John S. Dwight, December 5, n.y.; 2 pp.

Describes a little girl's drowning by breaking through the ice in a pond. Asks him to get in touch with the girl's mother.

To: John S. Dwight, December 19, n.y.; 2 pp.

Thanks him for his verses, "sweet and tender, and full of deep feeling; and withal cheerful and serene."

The little girl's mother was gratified to hear from him. To: John S. Dwight, May 2, n.y.; 2 pp.

The father of the drowned child has died of inflammation of the spinal cord. The mothe'r is now triply bereft: of child, of husband, and of father. She is left with small means and six children, three of which are having scarlet fever. "It seems almost wicked for us all to be so well and happy as we are."

To: John S. Dwight, July 28, n.y.; 2 pp.

The widow and family are now in a cramped but pretty and comfortable house. His "beautiful letter" has given the mother much pleasure. He is urged to visit them.

To: Editor of the Herald-Tribune Books) May 24, 1935; 1 p. (typed copy).

Acknowledges her mistake about the identity of "Arvia," a nlistake which "originated many years ago" through E.A.R.'s penchant for "fictitious names in his portrait-poems (a few, though only a few, of which have a half or quarter foundation in some actual person)."

To: Dana Estes, June 14, 1892; 2 pp.

Is sending him When I Was Your Age, and will probably make some additions to the chapter on her father.

To: Dana Estes, May 10, 1900; 3 pp.

(5)

"These people come from Boston! what will they say to my having no nose?"

To: Dr. G. M. Fernald, December 17, 1915; 1 p.

Thanks him for pamphlets and papers on prison reform. Thinks of him as "one of the light-bringers." Hopes his words "will bear some fruit in Maine."

From: Parker Fillmore, August 4, 1935; 1 p.

Detailed account of his participation in a Woman's Club meeting which consisted of an appreciation of the life and work of Wagner, followed by a reading of E.A.R.'s poems by "a little old woman, obviously a grandmother many times," and his own personal reminiscences of E.A.R. at Peter-borough and New York. E.A.R. "didn't like Club women as such, but he would have liked these women."

From: Alice S. Gibson, August 21, 1936; 1 p.

Claims distant relationship to Edward [sic] Arlington Robinson and encloses a poem of twenty-one lines about an incident in the poet's childhood.

To: Mary D. Herrick, May 16, 1942; postcard.

Consents to write "something" for the July Bulletin of the Maine Library Association.

From: Lewis M. Isaacs, Ap,ril 16, 1935; 4 pp.

As one of E.A.R.'s executors, he is appalled by the desire of so many people to write about the recently deceased poet, publish his letters, etc. "I can see that it is a very compli-cated situation and.requires much thought andtact! My chief job, I believe, wilt be, so far as possible to slow up all ac-tivities in that direction so that the matter is left safe for a dignified, definitive 'Life.' "

Fro-m: Lewis M. Isaacs, April 25, 1935; 2 pp.

Is eager to see her "Robinson in Gardiner." Thinks the New York Times Book Review "would be a far better me-dium than the more respectful but very much limited Yale

Review."

From: Lewis M. Isaacs, April 30, 1935; 2 pp.

(6)

"any 'authorization' to anyone person or group of persons to speak for him."

The editor of the New York Herald-Tribune Books is

interested in "RobinsoninGardiner" and would like to run it in about three weeks.

From: Lewis M. Isaacs, May 5, 1935; 2 pp.

Refers to Mrs. August Belmont's readings ofTristram in a theatre and some of E.A.R.'s shorter poems over the radio. From: Lewis M. Isaacs, May 9, 1935; 2 pp.

Withholds permission to say that her booklet on E.A.R. is printed "with the consent of the executors" in order to avoid the appearance of "unfair discrimination" against proposed publications of E.A.R.'s letters which the executors do not approve.

Refers to the memorial exhibit of E.A.R.'s books and manuscripts at Yale Library.

From: Lewis M. Isaacs, October 8, 1935; 1 p.

Has regretfully told Mr. Putnam of Macmillan's that her E.A.R. article would not sell as a book "on account of its lack of physical bulk." Suggests a privately printed mono-graph.

E.A.R. thought "a great deal of [Professor Cestre], and was well pleased with Cestre's volume on his poetry."

To: Janles Keddie, November 6, 1937; postcard.

Is sending "The Birds' Christmas," a children's poem of 32 lines. Had no idea he used material of this kind. To: James Keddie, February 12, 1938; 1 p.

Encloses Chapter II of Children's Reading, dealing "with

the age between ten and twelve."

An attached note informs him that Mrs. Richards "is not feeling very well today, but will write within a day or two." To: James Keddie, July 21, 1938; 1 p.

Is recovering strength and enjoying herself in a quiet way by the sea at Roscahegan.

"I do not know what is meant by Capt. January's being

(7)

To: James Keddie, November 3, 1939; 2 pp.

Commiserates him on some shabby treatment at the hands of publishers. "The minutiae of publishers' ethics are very dim in my mind."

Has "a truly delightful letter from Mr. Theodore Roose-velt, whose great and beloved father used to read my rhymes and stories to his children."

"I am nearly ninety, and doubt if I do more than pick up various threads, dropped during the last year of uncertain health. . . . The time goes only too quickly, and is full of good and lovely things."

To: James Keddie, November 18, 1940; 1 p.

Attached is a typescript of "The Jog-Trot Muse," dated November 1934. She wonders if it is "the kind of thing" he wants. Has no prose available just now.

To: James Keddie, December 10, 1940; 1 p.

Attached is a typescript of "From Holy Writ." "It is rough and ready, like all my verses. I make, as you know, no pretense of being a poet."

From: Louis V. Le'doux, August 27, 1935; 1 p.

Discusses her E.A.R. book. "Although Robinson and I were quite closely in touch from 1906 until his death my knowledge of his earlier days in Gardiner is very limited." From: Louis V. Ledoux, September 16, 1935; 2 pp.

Having read her E.A.R. manuscript, he feels that she should shorten it further. It would then make "a most inter-esting and useful article for theAtlanticOTsome other similar

periodical."

He had hoped that Ridgely Torrence "might be prevailed on to write the biograp;hy," but Torrence feels that he could not do it properly "because he and E.A. were so closely to-gether during all those early years in New York." Second choice is Bliss Perry, but he too does not feel qualified.

Percy MacKaye has suggested that he, Ledoux and Tor-rence form a conlmittee to edit a volume of E.A.R. 's selected letters.

To: Robert W. Lull, February 22, 1913; 1 p.

(8)

To: Robert W. Lull, March 10, 1913; 2 pp.

Of the Howe papers he sent she would like to keep only the old grant to Richard Gridley, the account of the Howe Family Gathering, and the slip of paper bearing the names of her parents. These are interesting rather than valuable. To: Robert W. Lull, April 14, 1913; 2 pp.

Is returning all the Howe material. It is about another branch of the Howe family, with little or no value save the genealogy, of which she already has a copy.

To: Robert W. Lull, Decerrlber 4, 1933; 1 p.

Thanks him for sending a letter written by her husband's eldest brother.

From: Percy MacKaye, April 22, 1935; 2 pp.

Before his death, E.A.R. had authorized MacKaye "to at-tend to some of his literary affairs." He is doing this in conjunction with Louis V. Ledoux and Ridgely Torrence. Is writing to all of E.A.R.'s friends to find out"ifthey would like to send us some personal recollections of hinl, or letters from him, for use in a volume." Thought of her immedi-ately in connection with E.A.R.'s childhood and early youth. From: Percy MacKaye, April 30, 1935; 1 p.

Is delighted about her having written "Robinson in Gard-iner," and is eager to read of E.A.R.'s early friends.

From: Percy MacKaye, May 22, 1935; 3 pp.

Points out that in her article on E.A.R. in the New York

Herald-Tribune she errs about his sonnet on "Arvia." It was written for his daughter's fifth birthday, who was also subject of poetic tributes from Ridgely Torrence, Anna Hempstead Branch, Josephine Peabody, William Vaughn Moody, Witter Bynner, Bliss Carman, and others.

To: Percy MacKaye, May 25, 1935; 2 pp. (typed carbon copy).

Explains that her error about "Arvia" came about through a whimsical change of title of a poem E.A.R. had written for his five-year-old niece and revised later.

To: Mrs. Marble, March 1, 1918; 2 pp.

(9)

a reading. Asks about a timetable of trains between Boston and Worcester.

To: Mr. Niles, September 1888; 1 p.

Thanks him for a check and information about the Birth-day Book.

To: Mr. Niles, September 20, n.y.; 2 pp.

Her sister suggests that he send a copy of Toto to the New York Times, "as she knows the literary critic very well, and

thinks he will give us a good notice." Mrs. Richards herself hopes that "we may have good words from some of those 'terrible newspapers.' "

To: Ruth Nivison, February 8, 1931; 1 p.

Thanks her for so,nle lovely pink and white snapdragons. To: Ruth Nivison, May 12, 1935; 1 p.

"I seem to hear Uncle Win saying, 'Stay at home, and don't make your dear people anxious!' So I am good, and will."

To: Ruth Nivison, June 26, 1935; 1 p.

Has received delightful letters from Ridgely Torrence and Louis Ledoux abo,ut the E.A.R. memorial project.

To: Ruth Nivison, July 27, 1935; 2 pp.

Sends carbon copy of Chapter III ofE.A.R., "very badly" typed by herself.

Can she remember any of the tunes E.A.R. played for her? "Any details of that lovely period would be most welcome."

Wouldn't Ruth like to write an article about E.A.R.? From: Ruth Nivison, n.d.; 2 pp.

She does not remember any other pieces E.A.R. used to play, except "Fair Harvard." "He loved Harvard."

"Uncle Win exacted a promise from me after he asked to read my Bradford prize essay that I would not attempt to write for publication until I was 45. . . . Of course at the age of 20, that sounded to me like a request to abandon it altogether - which is what I've done."

To: Ruth Nivison, August 4, 1935; postcard.

(10)

352

Colby Library Quarterly

To: Ruth Nivison, August 11, 1936; 2 pp.

In the E.A.R. memorial project they "are caught up, dealing in a movement that we cannot control, that - I

be-gin to feel - we ought not to wish to control. Suppose Wordsworth's family had shut their doors, locked up Iris letters, said 'He is ours; go away, we don't want you!"

She believes that "your Great One [E.A.R.] is no longer yours; no lo-nger ours . . . he belongs to the ages."

To: Ruth Nivison, August 17,1936; 2 pp.

Gives her sonle very precise and "practical" advice and consolation in the matter of E.A.R.'s affairs, his executors, and their choice of biographer.

To: Ruth Nivison, June 25, 1938; 2 pp.

Delighted with the Brida~Party. The Richardses miss her but are glad she is at Squirrel Island.

To: Ruth Nivison, August 14, 1938; 2 pp.

Asks if she has any material for Mr. Sagendorph, whose magazine has type apparently too small.

To: Ruth Nivison, April 13, 1939; 2 pp.

Thanks her for some lovely and pleasurable hydrangeas. To: Ruth Nivison, July 11, 1939; 1 p.

Note of sympathy on the death of her brother-in-law, Dr. Legge.

To: Ruth Nivison, n.d.; 1p.

Invites her to a special performance of Captain January

at the Opera House. To: Ruth Nivison, n.d.; 1p.

Suggests disposal of some E.A.R. mementoes to old friends. "But the other ladies - away with them!"

To: Mrs. Perkins, June 15, 1914; 2 pp.

Thanks her for a beautiful book. "It is a treasure indeed; one book-lover marvels that another could bear to part with it; marvels gratefully."

To: Lilla Cabot Perry, November 3, 1931; 2 pp.

(11)

Colby Library Quarterly

353

have out-Habakked him." She is up,set at the result after looking through her first copy.

From: Harold T. Pulsifer, April 15, 1936; 1 p.

Discusses an article about E.A.R. by Hermann Hagedorn. Suggests sources Mrs. Nivison nlight consult about preserva-tion of pencil manuscripts.

To: Harold T. Pulsifer, December 10, 1936; 1 p.

She asks about two books by Lizette Woodworth Reese. "I love everything she wrote."

Encloses a rollicking two·-stanza poem about "Harold, Harold," which she signs "The Doggerel Bard." "But per-haps you, like E.A. cannot abide Doggerel!"

To: Harold T. Pulsifer, March 2, 1941; 1 p.

Thanks him for "the little precious photograph ... a very lovely thought."

"You and Susan are gifts of my later life . . . Autumn anemones? No,! 'hyacinths to feed my soul.' "

To: Harold T. Pulsifer, September 22, n.y.; postcard.

A comic verse about being ill and recovering. On reverse side is a humorous freehand sketch of a woman inwide skirt waving two flags.

From: James Putnam, Octob,er 4, 1935; 2 pp.

Gives Macmillan's op,inion on "Robinson in Gardiner." "The material which it contains seems fresh and new and it does give a side of Robinson's life which, I think, was funda-nlental and at the same time one which his New York associ-ates know little of." But the decision is that it is "a little too slender for book publication." Advises shortening it and trying a magazine.

From: Carty Ranck, May 7, 1935; 1 p.

He is interested in what she wrote about E.A.R. asking her to refrain from calling him "shy." He often told Ranck that "he did not think any o,ne liked to be called shy, and I know that he was rather irritated when any newspaper article called him that."

(12)

From: Carty Ranck, May 22, 1935; 1 p.

Tells her that E.A.R.'s p<)em "Exit" was "inspired by the death of Robinson's brother, Dean." Also that she erred in not identifying "Arvia" as Percy MacKaye's daughter. To: Carty Ranck, May 25, 1935; 1 p. (typed carbon copy).

Explains how the nlistake about "Arvia" occurred, then points out that E.A.R. stated "Exit" was written about his brother Herman, not Dean.

From: Linville W. Robbins, September 19, 1935; 2 pp. Is sending her a picture, "probably the only one in exist-ence," which includes Robinson, Seth Pope in the middle, and Robbins at right.

Conlmends her for ensuring E.A.R.'s early years, "so that future generations will not be obliged to talk about 'a little Latin and less Greek.' "

To: Messrs. Roberts Bros., August 26, 1892; 2 pp.

Requests some advertisenlent of her books, "especially of

In My Nursery/' about which she gets high praise from both parents and children.

Estes& Lauriat are now printing the 29,OOOth of Captain

January, "a little story which I once submitted to you." Fronl: Edwin Arlington Robinson, April 11, 1928; 2 pp.

He is happy "to get away from people and from going about . . . if any Literary Lady tries to get hold of me, I shall send her a poisoned chocolate mouse by registere'd mail." FroIn: Edwin Arlington Robinson, February 21, 1930; 2 pp.

Discusses usages of words and the "dressing down" she gave him for using "enormity."

Speaks of Wagner and Die Meistersinger. From: Edwin Arlington Robinson.

(13)

Since the originals of these letter:s are notinColby College Library, no note of their contents is made.

To: Emma Robinson, August 16, 1935; 1 p.

Thanks her for an extremely interesting letter. Under-stands that "the writing was an effort, and that many sorrow-ful echoes of past times were awakened." This is in reference to E.A.R.'s death.

To: Emma Robinson, October 28, 1936; 1 p.

Expresses her "great and lasting joy" in having sonle share

inthe tribute to E.A.R.

To,: Dear Sir, January 4, 1910; 2 pp.

Asks dealer to send following books: Passion Flowers, Words for the Hour, Later Lyrics, Trip to Cuba, Oak to the Olive. Discovers after three weeks that she has failed to post this letter. Hopes the books are still available.

To: Dear Sirs, October 15, 1892; 1 p.

Sends serial story called "Milady" to Youth's Companion editors. Although heroine is a blind child, it is not a cWld's story. It "is rather meant as a companion to Captain

Jan-uary, a story which has met with some success." Would $500 b,e a fair price for it?

To: Dear Sirs, November 25, 1892; 2 pp.

Asks Companion editors what changes they propose for "Milady." Might perhaps leave out the entire chapter called "Waiting," but doubts she can recast the other chapters. To: Dear Sirs, August 25, n.y.; 1 p.

Requests following for Camp Merryweather: Selected Poems of Wordsworth, Golden Treasury, Pocket R.L.S., Shelley's Poems, Keats, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Oppen-heim's Up a Ladder of Gold, Buchan's The Blanket of the

Dark, "or some such name."

From: Harry de Forest Smith, April 30, 1935; 1 p.

Is glad to hear that "you Gardiner p;eople" are having a meeting in honor of E.A.R. and wishes he might b'e there, but he has nothing "of general interest to add to the known facts of his career."

From: John L. B. Williams, October 8, 1935; 1 p.

(14)

bro-chures are difficult to promote and he must agree with Mac-millan that a magazine is more appropriate.

A final item, not in manuscript form, is an unpublished poem written by Mrs. Richards in her eighty-sixth year, "to tuck into family letters." It is appended here b;ecause of its value in

demonstrating the irrepressible vivacity of spirit which remained with her until the end of her days.

RISING EIGHTy-SIX

My house goes creaking to its fall Hey trol loUie loUie.

Soon it will be no house at all, Hey trol loUie lee.

The ceUar is a-squeak with rats, The belfry is a-whirr with bats, The waUs are little more than slats,

Hey trol loUie lee.

But 'twixt the slats my Self slips out, Hey trol loUie lollie;

And frisks and capers all about, Hey trol loUie lee;

My spirit spreads a frolic wing, And flutters round like anything; Hark! listen, and you'll hear it sing,

References

Related documents

Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information (including diagnostic test results, problem list, medication lists, medication allergies, discharge

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A member’s start-up of a local business in conjunction with the starting of a Church of Christ can be a marriage made for Heaven.. Each can

The distance needed to complete the pass (DNTCP), which before the passing maneuver is initiated is equal to the estimated distance traveled by the subject vehicle during its

However, image of a space object could be taken at any point in the sphere centered at the object, and the appearance of the same satellite changes greatly in images taken

Instead of paying the entire $104 million plant cost now, GlobTech can pay ONLY $50 million now. Then, one year from now, when V is known, the company can choose to pursue either

While both the percentage of OTA ads and frequency of trademark usage were notable on Bing, a different trend emerged on Google. Beyond the fact that OTA ads per SERP were

This paper presents the application of a platform for flood forecasting created for the Portuguese river Lima basin, FEWS-LIMA, integrated with SOBEK

Variation of arc characteristics as a function of the bulk ve- locity at the LLBL side of the TD: (a) the variation of the maximum of the field-aligned potential drop; (b) the